DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Told by a potential voter that he should campaign more in the Hawkeye State, GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson gave her his word that he'll be crisscrossing the state by bus a lot more between now and the January 3 caucus. He added that the next time he'll be back will be December 17.

The former Tennessee senator told a group of his organizers and a few reporters that starting the 17th he'll be here "just about every day" until the caucus, with the exception of "a day or two" for Christmas.

"Just when the interest is there the greatest is when we'll be here the most," Thompson added.